El Muerto (film)

El Muerto alternatively, The Dead One, El Muerto The Dead One, The Dead One El Muerto, The Dead One An American Legend is a liveaction independent film adaptation of the comic book series, El Muerto The Aztec Zombie created by Javier Hernandez. The film was written and directed by Brian Cox with Javier Hernandez serving as AssociateProducer. It stars Wilmer Valderrama, Angie Cepeda, Joel David Moore, Billy Drago, Tony Plana, Michael Parks, Mara Conchita Alonso and Tony Amendola. The film follows the story of Diego de la Muerte, a 21yearold MexicanAmerican who is abducted, sacrificed, and sent back to the land of the living by the Aztec gods of death and destiny to fulfill an ancient prophecy. The official premiere was held on March 1, 2007 at the Latino Film Festival in San Diego, California with a straighttoDVD release slated for September 18, 2007 followed by subsequent screenings in New York and San Diego. The official site address www.elmuertomovie.com has since been redirected to a MySpace film account. The film is rated PG13 for violence and some disturbing images. El Muerto has gone on to win the Best Feature Film Award at the first annual Whittier Film Festival in 2008.

Centuries ago, the Aztec empire of Mexico was conquered by the Spanish conquistadors. Horrified by their religious practices, the Spaniards set out to convert the native population to Catholicism, effectively declaring war upon the Aztec religion. According to an ancient prophecy, the Aztecs and their religion will return to dominance in a time known as the Sixth Sun.While attempting to illegally cross the United StatesMexico border, young orphan boy Juan Diego is singled out by a fellow traveler, a strange old man known only as Old Indian claiming to know the way. The old man leads the boy to an old Aztec shrine dedicated to the god of death, Mictlantecuhtli. Explaining that they must give thanks to Tezcatlipoca, the god of sacrifice, Old Indian proceeds to carve a symbol of the god in to Diegos hand. Declaring the boys blood to be pure, the Old Indian dies in the throes of invocations of Nahuatl, abandoning the boy in the desert. ........

Source: Wikipedia